SOTA Explained

A beginner's guide to hilltop radio

Summits on the Air (SOTA), is one of fastest developing award schemes that have come into existence in recent years. For the active hillwalker and the home based chaser of summits alike this programme offers endless fascination. SOTA Explained sets out to provide the essential guide to this programme, hilltop radio and much more besides.

Taking a portable radio station into the hills and operating from a summit is a fascinating and rewarding way to combine the very best aspects of walking and of amateur radio. SOTA activity is also inexpensive providing the opportunity to achieve a great deal in amateur radio. Many appreciate the freedom this sort of operation offers and the benefits of having a high radio station far from urban electrical interference. At altitude even modest sets can deliver astonishing performance: communication across the country and across the continent is routinely available and on many days mountain-to-mountain conversations flow across the world.

SOTA Explained also provides advice for those who do not venture on to the hills but still want to participate in SOTA. There is a whole chapter dedicated to 'chasers' from the bands to choose, how propagation affects your operation, chasing DX stations and rare SOTA activations. Not only does SOTA Explained explain how SOTA works but there is advice on safe hillwalking, setting up simple & cheap SOTA stations and modes of operation. There is technical advice on improving your first station, the antennas to choose and how to run SOTA stations on HF.

The book is not just for those new to SOTA but the more experienced operator will find much of use too. SOTA Explained provides the ideal guide to the SOTA scheme and making hilltop operation easy, social, & fun.

Be warned: after reading this book, you will never see a hilltop in the same way again.